1. Field of Invention
The invention relates in general, to firearms, and more particularly, to a spring loaded firing pin safety catch mechanism designed to prevent the unintentional discharge of a firearm.
2. Prior Art
Numerous firing pin safety devices have been developed and implemented over the years with a varying degree of success. These safety devices have the general purpose of preventing the unintentional discharge of a firearm should the weapon be violently struck from the front (for example, if the firearm accidentally falls on the group causing the muzzle of the weapon to strike a potentially hard surface), or should debris become wedged between the firing pin and its housing causing the firing pin to be stuck in the firing or primed position.
Firing pins of the “floating” variety, which do not have any mechanical means preventing the tip from contacting the primer of a cartridge, are common in both the M16 and AK family of firearms. The M16 and its derivates are arguably the most prolific type of firearm in the United States being used by military, law enforcement and civilian shooters. When a hammer strikes the rear end of the firing pin (“front” is understood throughout this document to mean the direction that a discharged projectile would leave the host firearms barrel and “rear” is understood to be opposite of “front”) its energy is transferred to the firing pin which responds by moving forward through the separation distance and striking the primer of the loaded cartridge being held by the barrel's chamber.
Unfortunately, kinetic energy may also be imparted to a floating firing pin unintentionally such as when a weapon is dropped by the user accidentally. Another possibility, when the action of the firearm is released after being drawn fully to the rear, upon seating the firing pin, due to inertia, is still traveling forward only stopping after it strikes the primer of the loaded cartridge. This often leads to a small dimple of the primer's surface. These provided examples, under the right circumstance, could cause a weapon to accidentally discharge.
Devices such as discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,848,832 & 6,145,234 propose a catch-like safety mechanism mounted to the breech of a firearm. These safety mechanisms rely on a catch which faces the firing pin. The firing pin has a recess proximate its rear end. The recess is located opposite the safety catch or circumferential about the rear end (in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,234) located opposite the safety catch formed on the safety element. A means to force the safety catch into operational contact with the firing pin recess is provided by both designs. When the safety catch is engaged with the recess, the firing pin is secured and cannot move toward the primer of a cartridge.
In the above mentioned safety elements, the safety element are lengthened rearward by a release part having a camming surface. The camming surface of the release parts extends into the travel path of the hammer directly behind the rear of the firing pin. When the hammer strikes the camming surface, and in so doing, forcing the release part, and thus the safety element to the side such that the firing pin is released by the safety catch just prior to the firing pin being struck by the hammer. This results in the firing pin being able to move under the pressure exerted by the hammer resulting in the firearm discharging a round.
While the above described safety mechanisms are effective, they are not readily adaptable to the M16 family of weapons. Nothing in these prior art examples would create an operative combination. Further, as example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,234 incorporates the extractor element into the leaf spring used in conjunction with the safety catch. There is no way to incorporate such a design into the M16 family of weapons due to the rotational separation of the bolt from the bolt carrier during normal operation. Yet, a need to implement a mechanism which prevents the “floating” movement of the firing pin in the M16 family of weapons and those like it persist.
Another weakness with prior art firing pin safeties is that they allow the firing pin a limited range of motion even when held in the rest position. The forward inertia generated when the action is closed coupled with the movement still allowed the firing pin allows the tip of the firing pin to dimple the primer. While it has not been proven that this situation causes out of battery detonation of the loaded cartridge there is evidence that suggest it does. Out of battery detonation occurs when a loaded cartridge is discharged prior to the bolt and cartridge being fully seated in the chamber of the host firearm.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.
3. Objects and Advantages
Accordingly several objects and advantages of the present invention are                (a) To provide a safety mechanism which prevents the unintentional movement of the firing pin assembly in an auto-loading firearm during manual cycling of the action.        (b) To provide a safety mechanism which may be readily implemented into existing rifle designs.        (c) To provide a safety catch mechanism which may be incorporated into the existing, M16 family of firearms, bolt carrier assembly.        (d) To prevent any unintentional contact between the firing pin and the primer of a cartridge.        
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.